Stream-flow-controlling instrumentality



May 15, 1923. 1,455,586

v HAJEK STREAM FLOW CONTROLLING INSTRUMENTALITY Filed April 12, 1923ill/l a IG. v. F 2

Patented May l5, 1923,

VLADIMIR HAJEK, 0F PRAGUE, GZECHOSLOVAKIA.-

Application filed Apri112, 1923. Serial No. 631,577.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, VLADIM R HAJEK, acitizen of Czechoslovakia, residing at Prague, Kgl. Weinberge,Czechoslovakia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inStream-Flow-Controlling Tnstrumentalities (for which I have applied forpatent in Germany, filed July 26, 1921, and in Czechoslovakia on May 9,1921), of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to streamflow-controllinginstrumentalities, andpertains more particularly to instrumentalities ofthis type wherein the movable element is capable of being raised bodilyout of the channel and at the same timepermit the element to be movedbetween channel-closing and channel-open positions to control the waterlevel in the dam or the dike being controlled by the instrumentality.Structures of this type'are generally of massive formation and are moreor less difficult to move between the closed and open positions byreason of the extremely heavy weights that are required to be moved,this beingtrue especially where the instrumentality is designed tocontrol a channel of considerable width.

Among the objects of the present invention are to minimize the weightand the size of the instrumentality while maintaining.

the efliciency, and also to provide an ar-. rangement which will permitthe pressures of the confined water to aid in moving the instrumentalityfrom its closed to its open position.

'lNith these general objects in view and others that will appear as thenature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in thenovel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinaftermore fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, andpointed out in the appended claims. I I

In the drawings forming a part of this application, and in whichlikedesignating characters refer to corresponding parts throughout theseveral views,

Figure 1 is an end elevational view of one form of flow-controllinginstrumentality.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the movable part or plate of theinstrumentality.

Figure 3 is an end elevational view of a modified form of theinvention,showing a movement controlling arrangement employed, with the dam plate,I

Figure 4 is a vertical"cross-sectional view of another form of theinvention, showing a valved opening in the dam-plate,

Figure 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view of another form ofdam-plate, v

Figure 6 is a sectional view similar to 1 Figure 5, showing thedam-plate in shifted position, i

Figure 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view of another form of theinvention,

Figure 8 is a detail-sectional view of a valve device which may besubstituted for the movement-controlling arrangement of Figure 4.. I

Figures 1 and 2 show the dam-plate A in its flow-controlling position,the face of the plate being inclined upwardly to the horizontal andvertical in the direction of stream flow and thus slanting against thecurrent of the water. The plate, in its rear, is provided with verticalsupporting bars B at given intervals.

These supporting bars, which can I be constructed of concrete andintegral with the dam-plate, have at their lower end metal insertions owhich in their turn find support upon the inclined metal plate a of alow prop D suitably arranged in the bottom of the river. These propsprotrude from the river bottom only a few centimeters.

Dam-plate A has at its lower end a cushioning member 'if which'permitsthe darn plate to be closed watertight on the bottom of the channel. Thesupporting bars B can be connected with each. other by means oftransverse members 9. a

In Figure 3 the dam. plate is shown as I adapted to be shifted manuallyto an open Here thesupporting bars B are ions C which engage curvedracks O which are fastened to the shore-props Thus,

turning of the pinions G acts to lay the dam-plate flat backward.For-guiding of the lower end of the dam-plate, I provide A rollers Cwhich move upon'segmental guiding rails O The outer supporting bars Bare provided with pinion-segments Z2 which engage gearing formed on thebearing a.

The upper end of the dam-plate is shown.

as provided with an extension plate P, the

movement of which, by Shifting on its pivot to a horizontal position orbelowthe hori zontal, serves to cause the water-level to lower from hto72?.

Figure 4 is a dam-plate which moves to open position automatically. Forthis purose the lower half 2, 3, of dam-plate A, held in closed positionby the pressure of the water exerted in the direction R, is providedwith an opening (Z which is closed by aflap element of valve cl. Now, ifthis flap element is opened, thepressure of the water upon'the lowerlialtQ, 3, or" the dainplate is lessened and the danrplate, because ofthe super-pressure upon the upper half 3, 4-, turns flat backward. Therapidity of this turning portion of the upper half can be regulated bythe size of opening (Z and the full" or partly opening ot the same.

Figure 5 represents an arrangement whereby the supporting bars B areconnect; ed with each other by a transversely running wall which standsperpendicularly to the dam-plate A. This wall C forms a part of thesupport for dam '-plate A, and also forms, with the dam-plate, thesupporting bars and the bottom. of the channel,

a number of chambers the cross-sectional form' of WlllClf is shown bythe reference numerals 1, 2 and 3, and which are connectedwith eachother through the open space beneath the supporting bars. Thus they formin their eii'ect a single chamber. By means of controllable passagewaysf, with whichthe shore-props are provided, water from above thedam-plate can be brought into that chamber to produce a pressure thereinon the side or the lower portion of the dam plate, so that the plate issubjected to different pressures above andbelow the normal line ofthrust, thus caus-. ing the dam plate to turn to its horizontalposition. 5

- In order to prevent this motion to be too sudden, the wall C isprovided with opening e-.- just below dam-plate A. Now, the size of thetwo circulationchannels 7 is so proportioned that the quantity of waterwhich flows through them equals the quantity of water which runs out ofopening (a, then only. the pressure ot the volume of: water below theopening will be' effective in the chamber beneath the transverse wall C.

' But if the" quantity of water flowing through regulated. This,construction also allows the use ofthe'iextension valve P.

Figure 6 shows adamplate of the gen- .L l r llle SHOW'S 3. p 86 1.8arrangement which permits the plate of Figure 3 to be turned over intoits horizontal position rapidly. To this end the props oi' shores areprovided with a section of a rack M- which turns upon a pivot J. PinionC of the dam-plate engages this rack. Under ordinaryoperatiom'i'novement of the pinion causes dam plate A to tiltoverbecause rack M is then held against edge m, n, of the prop bytherotation of the pinion. In case of sudden pressure applied by the waterupon the plate, it, together with the rack M, tilts over following thedirection of the current.

, Figure 8 represents a valve which may be used to close the opening dotthe damplate as described in Figure 4-. This valve rests with its upperend upon pipe or tube a", the latter being provided with a pinion' 9*which engages rack r on the lower side of the. valve. The lower end ofvalve N rolls, by means of roller is, upon dam plate A and is supportedby reinforcing strip 7" and stopped by angle bar w. 1

As will be seen, the instrurhental'ity is practically produced by themovable .or

shittable element referred to aswthe dam plate, and which is made up ofthe face plate or member A and the supporting formations B. and thestationary element or.

with the movement provided by being ful crumed on the element D.

This general arrangement,disclosed 121 various forms in Figs. 1 to 6,presents the supporting formation as pre eQtmg rearwardly from facemember A in a directio that is normal to the plane of the face member,-with the point of connection closer to the lower than to the upper edgeof theface member,'

the position of the point of connection and the length of the supportingmemberybeing? such that the'lower and the upper edges of the face memberand the point of contact between the support-ingformation and the ele''ment D-whieh can be considered as a susstaining formation-are relativelyposi} tioned so that a cross-section of these parts will present thesepoints in substantial, corresnondence to the apices of an approirimateright-angle triangle. is will be understood,-withsueh'an jarr rangementand with the face member in its inclined or channel-closing position,the fulcruming point of contact betwee the supportmg and the sustainlngformationswhich corresponds in general to the apex of the right angleof'the triangleis in proximity to the bottom of that portion of thechannel below the plate, so that there is but slight obstruction to theflow of water past this sustaining formation when the movable element isshifted to its horizontal position. This is of advantage in that thedirection of thrust is applied to a portion of the sustaining memberthat is practically the bottom of the stream itself. and hence requiresbut a comparatively small amount of built thrust-sustaining constructionas compared with the general type of instrinnentality installationsheretofore employed, especially under conditions where theinstrumentality controls a stream of considerable width.

As will be understood this relative arrange ment which positions theface member edges and the fulcrum point of the movable element more orless similar to the apices of a triangle produces an effect that enablesthe change in conditions that are set up when the element is firstshifted from its closing position to be of service in permitting thepressures on the face of member A to be effective in shiftingthe movableelement to its horizontal plane; the flow of water heneath the facemember, as the latter begins its opening movement, reduces the pressureon the lower portion of the face member, so that the pressure ontheupper portio of this member becomes superior and acts to carry themember to the horizontal plane.

In Fig. 5, this effect is extended in that it is not necessary to beginthe movement of the movable element manually. In the form of Fig.5, thedevelopment of pressure within the chamber or chambers between the facemember and wall C, serves to produce the effect of a counter pressure onthe side of the face member opposite that which is being subjected tothe pressure of the confined water, the result being that there is setup a difference i pressure values between the upper and the lowerportions of the face member, thus enabling the superior pressure presenton the upper side of the thrust line to become active and start themovement of the member away from this closing position, this in turnbringing into action the results-accruing from the flow of the waterbeneath the member.

What is claimed as new is 1. In the formation of dams, wherein theflow-controlling instrumentality is shiftable between channel-closingand. channel-open positions, an'instrumentality for this purposeincluding a shiftable element having a face member adapted to serve as abreast wall of the dam, said wall being shiftable toward and from thebottom of the channel and a support-formation projecting normal to saidface member in the direction of stream flow and movable with said memberduring shifting movement between such positions, said face member andsupportformation being rigidly connected, with. the I point ofconnectionintermediate the upper direction of stream flow, across-section of the instrumentality presentingthe upper and lower edgesof the member and the point of contact of support formation andsustaining formation as relatively located in correspondence with theapices of an approximate right angle triangle of which said facerepresents the hypothenuse of the triangle, said support formation andthe sustaining formation having relative fulcruming configurations topermit the element to shift so as I to pass the face member from itsinclined plane position to an approximately horizontal plane whilemaintaining removable contact between the support and sustainingformations, the element having its movements about the approximate pointrepresented by the apex of the right-angle of the triangle.

2. An instrumentality as in claim 1 characterized in that the supportingformation includes a wall having its Width extending, in the directionof projection of such formation from'the face member with the wallhaving a width generally less than the distance represented by theprojection length of the supporting formation, the position of said wallrelativeto the face memberbeing such as to produce a spaced relationtherebetween to permit said wall to serve as a lowerlevel breast wallwhen the'face member of the element is shifted. into its inactive.horizontal plane. v

3. An instrumentality as in claim 1 characterized in that the supportingformation includes a wall having its width extending inthe direction ofprojection of such formation from the face member with the wall having awidth generally less than the distance represented by the projectionlength of the supporting formation, the position of said wall relativeto the face member being such as to produce a spaced relationtherebetween to permit saidwall to serveas a lower-level bfea et Wallwhen theface men'1 less projeetien qf tfie fate member to prfo- 10 bet-01 the elemenp is shifged ll 'l tO l tS lnacduce ecou ntel pregsu eeffectlve on sald'por- 'tl'v horlzontal, plane, Said ell and. face. tlonof the face member.

member in the.;chan'f;el-clesing pdsition of In testimony whereof Iaffix mysignature.

5 the element being operative to produce a chamber in open mm'uni cetionWith a con- I VLADIMIR HAJEK' trellable passagewedy ada pted to receivewa- VVitnesse: ter, from the damfat will be developpressure GINDYHAJKAVA,

, ithin thechanibef (Spposite the portion of RIEK.

